Curses Are for Keeps
by S'revan
Summary: Curses are usually permanent, although not always the same. Another person under a different curse helps Zel live with what he is. PG for language. Passing mention of Ranma 12 and Sandman


Insert standard disclaimer here. 

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Curses Are for Keeps

"Zel?" Is there a reason behind this jewel?" Kerry asked. 

"Yes. Rezo said that when I found a person with eyes this exact color, that I'd be one step closer to my cure."

"Hm." Kerry looked closely at the stone, then glanced at Lina. Hmm. "Why bother?"

"What?"

"Why bother? I know some people with curses far worse than this, yet they live and are happy, and even use their curse to advantage. What makes you so special that you have the right to bitch and complain and force your moodiness on your friends?"

Zelgadis looked at her and could not formulate an answer. Eventually: "There are... other people with curses?"

"Oh yes. I'm one of them."

"YOU? How are you cursed?"

"Other than being completely made of an indestructible metal?" she asked, smiling. "My body houses multiple souls, most of which are aware at any given time. Thus, not only am I insanely powerful, but also powerfully insane. It's the price I pay for making an idle wish."

Zel blinked. 

"In fact, one of me has another curse." she continued, reaching in an pulling a chocolate point siamese cat out of herself. She gave it to Zel and it started purring the instand it was in his arms.

Kerry reached into her hair. She pulled out a bucket of water and tossed it over Zel and the cat. Almost instantly, he was holding a wet, naked girl with bown hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. She reached up and licked his cheek. He blushed.

"This is Quartze," Kerry said. "She fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl, and now takes this form when touched by cold water. Hot water reverses it, but there are ways of preventing this."

"Hi." Quartze said. 

--~--~*~--~--

The Slayers looked up in surpise as a naked girl ran out of the brush and straight to Zelgadis. 

"Hiya, Mr. Zel!" she said. "Lady Kerry sent me to be with you! Isn't that nice? Can I have some hot water?"

Fighting a blush, he produced a kettle of hot water and dumped it on her. She shook herself, then settled onto his lap and started grooming herself. 

--~--~*~--~--

"Hiya, Mr. Zel!" Quartze exclaimed, glomping him and licking his face. He suffered in silence, but no longer blushed. This was too common to be embarrassing.

Time passed. 

"Mr. Zel!" 

Warned by her version of his name, he turned in time to catch her, laughing as she licked his face. "That's cold water," he complained good-naturedly.

"Of course it's cold!" Quartze said. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm cold."

Zel took off his cloak and put it on her. She snuggled against him and started playing with her hair. 

Time passed.

"Well... it doesn't look like I'll be finding a cure to my curse. And that means I'll probably live forever."

"So?"

"So? They won't! Lina, Amelia, Gourry, nobody but Xelloss will live forever. YOU won't live forever."

"But the future doesn't matter, right? Neither does the past. Death, when it comes, is neither friend nor enemy. It IS." *

"It's when you say things like that that I know you're a cat."

"Besides, I'm a part of Lady Kerry, so I'll probably live forever too. It's not like you'll be alone or anything."

"Uh --"

"Mr. Zel, let's go fishing, okay?"

"Okay," Zel said. He felt warm inside.

Time passed. 

"Hello," a pretty woman all in black with a silver ankh said. Her black hair made a sharp contrast with her pale skin. She was smiling.

Kerry was with her. 

"Lady Kerry!" Quartze cried and threw herself at the woman. Kerry smiled at her just before the cat was reabsorbed. 

"Ready, Zelgadis?" the stranger asked.

"No. I thought I'd want to die long before now, but no. I'm not ready."

"Very few people are, Zelgadis Greyweirs," Death said. "Come, take my hand."

"Please call me Zel," he said.

"Zel." She smiled again.

He took her hand. There was the sound of wings. 

Kerry smiled after her best friend and her charge. It was time to move on.

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* Not mine! Thank you, Wendy Pini, for that phrase. I love it to pieces! ("Death, when it comes, is neither friend nor enemy. It IS." is from ElfQuest, Book Four: Quest's End. All of ElfQuest is written, edited, and illustrated by Wendy and Richard Pini.)


End file.
